The SFZC Audio Archive

Serial: SF-07912 Abbess Fu Schroeder reflects on the deep sorrow underlying our anger at the long history of violence in the human world, and on how we might arouse an appropriate response based on our vow to live for the welfare of all beings.... The talk discusses the Zen concept of surrender and the Bodhisattva precepts in the context of global events like the September 11 attacks and the invasion of Ukraine, relating these to teachings on compassion and the mindful...

Serial: SF-08032 By engaging and practicing the Paramitas we turn our exploration of refuge outward. Including all beings. 03/05/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. The talk centers on discovering and creating "refuge" in daily life amidst challenging circumstances, with specific focus on current global conflicts, interconnection, and the six practices (paramitas) of the Bodhisattva. The...

Serial: SF-07994 Exploring the possiblity of transformation and creating a Sangha of Belonging by giving ourselves over to each other. 03/02/2022, Horin Nancy Petrin, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of taking refuge in the Sangha and creating a sense of inclusive belonging within Zen communities. It discusses the San Francisco Zen Center’s engagement with agreements for multicultural...

Serial: SF-07942 Impermanence happens, yes, but how do we actually make change happen? 02/26/2022, Mushim Patricia Ikeda, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of impermanence and change, emphasizing the transformative potential within Buddhist practice. A narrative of a Dharma gathering in Korea illustrates the intersection between traditional Zen...

Serial: SF-07797 A core teaching of the Lotus Sutra that can powerfully meet us. 02/20/2022, Eijun Linda Cutts, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk primarily focuses on the teachings of the Lotus Sutra, emphasizing its challenging yet profound message of universal inclusivity on the singular path to enlightenment. A notable discussion includes the historical context...

Serial: SF-07984 Appreciation as a practice of refuge. 02/16/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the practice of taking refuge as a form of awareness and embodiment, encouraging the integration of Buddhist teachings into daily life. Several key concepts include: the reciprocity of presence and engagement...

Serial: SF-07820 Examining Dogen's famous phrase, "To study the self is to forget the self." 02/12/2022, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of refuge within Zen practice, emphasizing Dogen's and Suzuki Roshi's teachings on studying and forgetting the self to embody the "true activity of big existence." It reflects on personal insights...

Serial: SF-07788 Buddha's teaching on refuge and entering freedom through the refuge of coming home. 02/09/2022, Gil Fronsdal, dharma talk at City Center. The talk explores the concept of "refuge" in Buddhism, emphasizing it as both an action and a place of freedom. By examining the Japanese and Chinese interpretations of refuge as "returning home," and the Pali concept associating...

Serial: SF-07978 A talk about the Bodhisattva’s vow--to live for the benefit of others--as exemplified by the worlds greatest chef, Massimo Bottura. 02/06/2022, Furyu Nancy Schroeder, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk emphasizes the power of inspiration and action, drawing parallels between the Buddhist concept of awakening and contemporary acts of altruism, such as those by chef Massimo Bottura. It discusses the transformative nature...

Serial: SF-07898 An exploration of how engaging every moment, every place, every activity can become refuge. 01/29/2022, Kiku Christina Lehnherr, dharma talk at City Center. This talk discusses the practice of taking refuge in Buddhism, describing it as a sanctuary that transcends cultural boundaries. It explores the concepts of taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, emphasizing the...

Serial: SF-07906 A dharma talk on the day of a jukai ceremony, exploring vow and the 16 Bodhisattva precepts. 01/22/2022, Kyoshin Wendy Lewis, Jisan Tova Green, Anshi Zachary Smith, dharma talk at City Center. The talk at the San Francisco Zen Center elaborates on the significance of the Bodhisattva initiation ceremony where practitioners receive the precepts and Zen lineage, expressing commitment to ethical conduct and selflessness....

Serial: SF-07798 01/19/2022, Shoren Heather Iarusso, dharma talk at City Center. The talk centers on the Buddhist teaching of anatta (not-self), exploring its transformative impact and its contrast with the Hindu concept of Atman. Emphasizing personal and meditative experiences, the discussion links the...

Serial: SF-07858 A rhapsody by Tenshin Roshi on a theme provided by our great ancestor Eihei Dogen. 01/16/2022, Tenshin Reb Anderson, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. This talk discusses the significance of facing challenges and suffering, particularly within the context of Zen practice and intensive meditation retreats. Emphasizing the practices of prostrations, chanting, and taking refuge,...

Serial: SF-07889 Guided by the great Mahāyāna teachings of Prajñāpāramitā our Zen training asks us to join with all beings and follow the investigation of our karmic responsibilities from even the distant past to where we practice today without... The talk explores the communal aspects of Zen practice, emphasizing Zazen's role in fostering interconnectedness and challenging the notion of a separate self through shared experiences and communal meditation. It touches on the...

Serial: SF-07838 Transforming: one season to another. Practicing and transforming through difficult times. 01/08/2022, Gendo Lucy Xiao, dharma talk at City Center. The talk provides a personal account of a visit to the Fourth Ancestor's Monastery in China, emphasizing the cultural and spiritual significance of the yellow plum blossoms and their symbolic resilience in winter. This theme is...

Serial: SF-08010 Recommendations for practice. 12/22/2021, Rinso Ed Sattizahn, dharma talk at City Center. The talk focuses on the teachings of Shunryu Suzuki, especially in the context of the recently rediscovered lectures which contributed to his seminal work, "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." The discussion elaborates on Suzuki's...

Serial: SF-11056 A talk about some of Suzuki Roshi’s teachings on the Sixteen Great Bodhisattva Precepts. 12/19/2021, Ango Sara Tashker, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk examines the integration of the winter solstice's themes of darkness and introspection with Zen practice, highlighting the balance between duality and unity through Buddhist precepts. It emphasizes the role of Zazen in...

Serial: SF-11143 How Zen practice supports us in having an ongoing relationship to the past and all the ways we are conditioned; and to move upright through the Dharma gates of our individual and collective delusions. 12/12/2021, Dojin Sarah... The talk explores how Zen practice is inherently relational, focusing on the alchemical transformation of delusion into wisdom through full awareness and presence. The speaker emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and...

Serial: SF-07823 There are various New Year's traditions that involve reflection on how each person lives their life. One fascinating example from the history of the U.S. of how a person lived is that of Kit Carson, a trapper, guide, courier, and... The talk explores the theme of New Year as a time of transition, drawing on diverse cultural traditions to illustrate the rituals and reflections these celebrations evoke. It delves into the role of introspection and balance...

Serial: SF-07923 Rev. Kobiyama of Green Dragon Temple, a Japanese, female-embodied Zen priest who encountered Zen in the West, speaks on the question of "What Is Zen?" and tries to navigate through the crashing waves of two cultures and... The talk centers on the nature of Zen practice, particularly the significance of Rohatsu Sesshin, and explores the differences and dynamics between Japanese and Western Zen traditions. It addresses the evolving role of lay...

Serial: SF-11022 Using Suzuki Roshi's teaching, some reflections on the practice of "listening to your inner voice." 11/14/2021, Steve Weintraub, dharma talk at Green Gulch Farm. The talk addresses the essence of Zen practice by emphasizing two main aspects: the location of practice and the non-measurement of progress. Drawing on Suzuki Roshi's teachings, it suggests that the focus should not be solely on...

Serial: SF-11103 A talk exploring the healing of dehumanization that comes with naming, remembering and reparation in Buddhist tradition. 11/13/2021, Duncan Ryuken Williams, dharma talk at City Center The talk discusses the construction of a Buddhist monument aimed at addressing the history of racialized exclusion and violence faced by Japanese-Americans during World War II, highlighting the internment experiences of key...

Serial: SF-10994 How it is that our fundamental human affliction ─ our everyday messy karmic consciousness ─ is none other than the unchanging, ever-present clear, and luminous knowledge of Buddhas? Abbot David explores this inquiry through an... The talk examines the nature of karmic consciousness and its relation to Buddha nature, utilizing the koan "Guishan's Karmic Consciousness" from the Book of Serenity. The speaker discusses how karmic consciousness, characterized...

Serial: SF-11123 The Avatamsaka Sutra tells us that “Ordinary beings live according to their karma, being their karmic habitual tendencies, while a bodhisattva lives according to vow.” How might we understand this teaching? How can we learn to... The talk explores the distinction between living by karma, defined as habitual tendencies and conditioning, and living by vow, a conscious choice and commitment to spiritual principles, which is essential to the path of a...